CONFRIMED: Latest rumours Confrimed as Unconfrimed

[Forbury Lion]

Put on decent street food and bars outside the ground and spending an extra hour at the stadium after a game wouldnt be the end of the world for many. What is there to get home to on a Saturday? I've been a "home" fan at the new White Hart Lane, and at the Amex, and both clubs go to considerable lengths to monetise their supporters after the games, which also helps to reduce congestion after the games as well.

What do spurs and bha do to attract fans to stay after the game

Cheap beer would work, why trek into town when you can drink a the ground?

Spurs seem to make an absolute fortune from entertainment, Definitely something we should try to copy as much as we can.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Any straws to clutch at from SJM's Bearwood visit? It's well known that he's not as wealthy as he was, but this must be killing him to watch. All his work over 25 years or so, a model club others aspired to copy. All could count for nothing. Surely he must be thinking about how whatever he has left can help the situation?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

We usually get an update from STAR at the start of the week, be interesting to see what Howe says as he seems to have spun them a load of nonsense to date.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Any straws to clutch at from SJM's Bearwood visit? It's well known that he's not as wealthy as he was, but this must be killing him to watch. All his work over 25 years or so, a model club others aspired to copy. All could count for nothing. Surely he must be thinking about how whatever he has left can help the situation?

Yep was thinking this. He supposedly doesn't have the cash now but he must know a number of local high net worth business people

[WestYorksRoyal]

Any straws to clutch at from SJM's Bearwood visit? It's well known that he's not as wealthy as he was, but this must be killing him to watch. All his work over 25 years or so, a model club others aspired to copy. All could count for nothing. Surely he must be thinking about how whatever he has left can help the situation?

Yep was thinking this. He supposedly doesn't have the cash now but he must know a number of local high net worth business people

At his peak he was worth c. £400m. Even if he has lost 90% of it, that leaves some to help provide a short term fix.

[Sutekh]

I was chatting to a few mates/cousins yesterday and the general consensus was we’re as good as finished.

As mentioned above, there is enough money in football to help clubs in our situation, but it’s never going to happen as the greedy oxf*rd in the Premiership don’t like sharing. I’d like to think that when we become the first ex premier league team to go bust it will open up a few eyes, but in reality only Reading fans will really care. There might be a few mutterings on Sky for a while and then it’ll be forgotten.

Absolutely agree that there's enough money in the game for the FA or FL to build contingency funds to help clubs in dire trouble, but the likes of Mancheater City are never going to agree to give more to cover that scenario. If they agreed to it all they'd just say "take it out of what you already get". Perhaps this is where licencing should come in, clubs to pay an annual fee to the FA or FL/PL to be licenced and that funding could be used to help clubs being stitched up by **** owners.

Trouble is it all gives rise to the mantra of "don't worry everyone, when our owner drags us down the toilet the FL will have us covered". But then if there was a properly empowered regulator and proper FFP rules nearly all this cobblers could be caught and stopped before many of these issues got to the state of current things at Reading.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I was chatting to a few mates/cousins yesterday and the general consensus was we’re as good as finished.

As mentioned above, there is enough money in football to help clubs in our situation, but it’s never going to happen as the greedy oxf*rd in the Premiership don’t like sharing. I’d like to think that when we become the first ex premier league team to go bust it will open up a few eyes, but in reality only Reading fans will really care. There might be a few mutterings on Sky for a while and then it’ll be forgotten.

Absolutely agree that there's enough money in the game for the FA or FL to build contingency funds to help clubs in dire trouble, but the likes of Mancheater City are never going to agree to give more to cover that scenario. If they agreed to it all they'd just say "take it out of what you already get". Perhaps this is where licencing should come in, clubs to pay an annual fee to the FA or FL/PL to be licenced and that funding could be used to help clubs being stitched up by **** owners.

Trouble is it all gives rise to the mantra of "don't worry everyone, when our owner drags us down the toilet the FL will have us covered". But then if there was a properly empowered regulator and proper FFP rules nearly all this cobblers could be caught and stopped before many of these issues got to the state of current things at Reading.

They shouldn't have a choice. We should be telling owners the terms they abide by to compete in our pyramid and get the prestige associated with that. The problem is the PL and EFL are effectively in the control of oil states, hedge funds and billionaires when the game in this country should be controlled by the fans.

Get the regulator in and don't give them a choice. They'll all howl about it hurting the PL, then 5 years later it'll still be the best league in the world and all will be forgotten.

[Snowflake Royal]

Any straws to clutch at from SJM's Bearwood visit? It's well known that he's not as wealthy as he was, but this must be killing him to watch. All his work over 25 years or so, a model club others aspired to copy. All could count for nothing. Surely he must be thinking about how whatever he has left can help the situation?

Yep was thinking this. He supposedly doesn't have the cash now but he must know a number of local high net worth business people

At his peak he was worth c. £400m. Even if he has lost 90% of it, that leaves some to help provide a short term fix.

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Yep was thinking this. He supposedly doesn't have the cash now but he must know a number of local high net worth business people

At his peak he was worth c. £400m. Even if he has lost 90% of it, that leaves some to help provide a short term fix.

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

Desperation. The bet anybody is making is that their generosity will help the club survive to the end of the season at which point a takeover happens.

Highly uncertain, unlikely to get the money back as a buyer may negotiate it down anyway, could be tipping money down the drain. But sometimes emotions override rational business decisions. This is the dilemma facing anybody with the means to help.

[Stranded]

Yep was thinking this. He supposedly doesn't have the cash now but he must know a number of local high net worth business people

At his peak he was worth c. £400m. Even if he has lost 90% of it, that leaves some to help provide a short term fix.

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

I guess, if he is contemplating buying the training ground - and I think his visit was nothing but conincidence - then I don't think it would be a purchase of the mind but of the heart.

He built the club up to be a top end Champ/bottom end PL club - then sold, which was the right thing for him and the club to do at that time, as the hope was to sell to someone who could stabilise the club in the PL. We all know what has happened since.

It wouldn't surprise me if he feels a bit of guilt about where the club has found itself and if you were him - at 82 years old - and you could do something to save the club (again) it may be a hard thing to resist.

Hard to know how much he still has, as there doesn't seem to be much about his wealth out there since he moved away from ownership - but last estimates put him at 80 to 90m. Nowhere near enough to run a club but more than enough to throw away 10-15m buying the training ground.

I doubt it would happen but if there was wind Dai was going to make this announcement, it would be remiss of anyone involved in the process not to sound him out.

[Snowflake Royal]

At his peak he was worth c. £400m. Even if he has lost 90% of it, that leaves some to help provide a short term fix.

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

I guess, if he is contemplating buying the training ground - and I think his visit was nothing but conincidence - then I don't think it would be a purchase of the mind but of the heart.

He built the club up to be a top end Champ/bottom end PL club - then sold, which was the right thing for him and the club to do at that time, as the hope was to sell to someone who could stabilise the club in the PL. We all know what has happened since.

It wouldn't surprise me if he feels a bit of guilt about where the club has found itself and if you were him - at 82 years old - and you could do something to save the club (again) it may be a hard thing to resist.

Hard to know how much he still has, as there doesn't seem to be much about his wealth out there since he moved away from ownership - but last estimates put him at 80 to 90m. Nowhere near enough to run a club but more than enough to throw away 10-15m buying the training ground.

I doubt it would happen but if there was wind Dai was going to make this announcement, it would be remiss of anyone involved in the process not to sound him out.

Yeah, fair points. But he's already done it once with Zingarevich. Don't see it happening again.

It's all just panicked straw clutching.

[traff]

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

I guess, if he is contemplating buying the training ground - and I think his visit was nothing but conincidence - then I don't think it would be a purchase of the mind but of the heart.

He built the club up to be a top end Champ/bottom end PL club - then sold, which was the right thing for him and the club to do at that time, as the hope was to sell to someone who could stabilise the club in the PL. We all know what has happened since.

It wouldn't surprise me if he feels a bit of guilt about where the club has found itself and if you were him - at 82 years old - and you could do something to save the club (again) it may be a hard thing to resist.

Hard to know how much he still has, as there doesn't seem to be much about his wealth out there since he moved away from ownership - but last estimates put him at 80 to 90m. Nowhere near enough to run a club but more than enough to throw away 10-15m buying the training ground.

I doubt it would happen but if there was wind Dai was going to make this announcement, it would be remiss of anyone involved in the process not to sound him out.

Yeah, fair points. But he's already done it once with Zingarevich. Don't see it happening again.

It's all just panicked straw clutching.

Agreed.
However pretty natural reactions to bereavement.

Denial and isolation: a shock and disbelief reaction to the loss.
Anger: a feeling of resentment and frustration towards the situation or others.
Bargaining: a desperate attempt to negotiate or reverse the loss.
Depression: a deep sadness and hopelessness about the loss.
Acceptance: a recognition and acceptance of the reality and finality of the loss.

Guess all that is left is: Revenge Executed After Dai's Implacable Negligent Gamble

[Stranded]

But why would he effectively give money to Dai, that he'll never see again.

He's too old to get involved again.

I guess, if he is contemplating buying the training ground - and I think his visit was nothing but conincidence - then I don't think it would be a purchase of the mind but of the heart.

He built the club up to be a top end Champ/bottom end PL club - then sold, which was the right thing for him and the club to do at that time, as the hope was to sell to someone who could stabilise the club in the PL. We all know what has happened since.

It wouldn't surprise me if he feels a bit of guilt about where the club has found itself and if you were him - at 82 years old - and you could do something to save the club (again) it may be a hard thing to resist.

Hard to know how much he still has, as there doesn't seem to be much about his wealth out there since he moved away from ownership - but last estimates put him at 80 to 90m. Nowhere near enough to run a club but more than enough to throw away 10-15m buying the training ground.

I doubt it would happen but if there was wind Dai was going to make this announcement, it would be remiss of anyone involved in the process not to sound him out.

Yeah, fair points. But he's already done it once with Zingarevich. Don't see it happening again.

It's all just panicked straw clutching.

Again completely agree, and if he hadn't visited Bearwood for the first time ever at the end of last week, what less than 72 hours before Dai's latest curveball, I don't think anybody would think it possible or begin to make 2 and 2 probably make 5.

I don't see it happening again, but legacy is a random thing - at 82, he knows he probably hasn't got years left and his legacy is/was saving Reading FC - what legacy does that leave if there is no Reading FC.

It would make total sense for him to ride in to potentially save the club again, even if just to protect his legacy. Although, I do doubt it will happen and have no idea if he has the money to buy Bearwood, even if he wanted to.

[blythspartan]

I don’t believe Dai has ever had any intention of selling us. He’s been going through the motions and basically there’s nothing we can do about it as he doesn’t give a oxf*rd.

He can just let this happen and he’s so far removed from the club he doesn’t care about all of the protests etc. We’re going the same way as his other clubs and the only thing we can control is either to die silently or kicking and screaming.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Well, some news that's not bad news from Earnshaw:

I've been doing a bit of asking around at the club. The consensus is March should be an outlier when it comes to the shortfall. The club are working hard & are due extra income from sources that are not available to them this month

Bottom line is if/when March is navigated, the club SHOULD be fine for rest of the season. Alleviates immediate fears and allows Nigel Howe time to continue working with parties. Dig in for March, help where we can as a community and see where we are come May. All we can do

[Snowflake Royal]

I don’t believe Dai has ever had any intention of selling us. He’s been going through the motions and basically there’s nothing we can do about it as he doesn’t give a oxf*rd.

He can just let this happen and he’s so far removed from the club he doesn’t care about all of the protests etc. We’re going the same way as his other clubs and the only thing we can control is either to die silently or kicking and screaming.

And we've done about as much kicking and screaming as we can.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the squad collapse and we have another abandonment in the last couple of home games when it's clear we're down.

And it'll have no effect. Just like everything else. We're completely powerless at Dai's whim.

[Uke]

Well, some news that's not bad news from Earnshaw:

I've been doing a bit of asking around at the club. The consensus is March should be an outlier when it comes to the shortfall. The club are working hard & are due extra income from sources that are not available to them this month

Bottom line is if/when March is navigated, the club SHOULD be fine for rest of the season. Alleviates immediate fears and allows Nigel Howe time to continue working with parties. Dig in for March, help where we can as a community and see where we are come May. All we can do

There's no way a business the size of RFC can budget month to month like that.

Naivety from Earnshaw

[WestYorksRoyal]

Well, some news that's not bad news from Earnshaw:

I've been doing a bit of asking around at the club. The consensus is March should be an outlier when it comes to the shortfall. The club are working hard & are due extra income from sources that are not available to them this month

Bottom line is if/when March is navigated, the club SHOULD be fine for rest of the season. Alleviates immediate fears and allows Nigel Howe time to continue working with parties. Dig in for March, help where we can as a community and see where we are come May. All we can do

There's no way a business the size of RFC can budget month to month like that.

Naivety from Earnshaw

Why not? For all we know the Puscas fee could be spread in instalments due on the 1st day of every quarter, or some other income source being paid along those lines.

[Uke]

Well, some news that's not bad news from Earnshaw:

There's no way a business the size of RFC can budget month to month like that.

Naivety from Earnshaw

Why not? For all we know the Puscas fee could be spread in instalments due on the 1st day of every quarter, or some other income source being paid along those lines.

That would be known months ago

These crises don't rock up "unexpectedly"

[Orion1871]

Well, some news that's not bad news from Earnshaw:

I've been doing a bit of asking around at the club. The consensus is March should be an outlier when it comes to the shortfall. The club are working hard & are due extra income from sources that are not available to them this month

Bottom line is if/when March is navigated, the club SHOULD be fine for rest of the season. Alleviates immediate fears and allows Nigel Howe time to continue working with parties. Dig in for March, help where we can as a community and see where we are come May. All we can do

There's no way a business the size of RFC can budget month to month like that.

Naivety from Earnshaw

You'd think so, but this is an exceptionally poorly run business the size of RFC.